All About Me Books

Today's' feature is coming from one of our own - Natalie Melton. As I walked down the hall this morning, Natalie was sharing her "All About Me" book with a few staff members.

She wrote the book about herself and placed it in the reading center. The students literally fight over who is going to read it first. It' simple to make and a great way for the students to get to know you better.

Here's what's inside:

1. Cover introducing self

2. Birthday

3. Picture of self in school

4. Pictures of family (pets included)

5.Fun facts about self (We all now Ms. Melton LOVES polka dots!)

6. Favorite books

Pretty much you can add anything about your self you would like!

Thanks for sharing Natalie Melton!

Vowel Game & Assessment

Taken from Printable Princess

Here's a quick and easy vowel game. Give each student a laminated strip of vowels and a clothespin. Say a CVC word like "cat". Invite the students to put their clothespin on the vowel they hear in the CVC word. Have the students hold up their strips for a quick assessment! Not only will you reinforce and assess vowel sounds but also motor skills!!

Sight Word Wordle

Have you ever heard of "Wordle"? A Wordle is used to generate “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.

This is a great center game to reinforce sight words relevant to your class. 

Taken from The First Grade Parade

The objective of this activity is to have your kids search for sight words.  I keep my Sight Wordles in a plastic sheet protector and have the kids use their Expo markers to highlight the words they find.

You can do this lots of different ways...

* have the kids search for words they KNOW {this would be great for a quick assessment!}

* have the kids search for SPECIFIC words {great for a review!!!}

*have the kids search for words with 2 letters, 3 letters, etc.

* have the kids search for words that rhyme with __________.

The list goes on.... You can print off several at a time for more variety.  You can differentiate by lists.  The possibilities are endless!!!

Go to the link below for complete directions. This link also provides some other sight word center activities. Do you have a sight word center? If not you may want to try these ideas.

Sight Word Wordle

Kinetic Sight Word Activity… With a Beach Ball

Fun Sight Word Activity

This will be one of your students' favorite games.  It is a simple game with lots of learning potential.

Materials:

Taken from Kids Activities Blog

A Beach Ball

A Permanent Marker

Room to gently toss a ball to each other.

Ideas on learning with a sight words ball:

• If your students are already reading, have them read the words on the color they catch.
• If your students are not yet reading, have them point to a word and you tell them what it is before they toss the ball.
• If your students know all the words, have them create a sentence with as many words as they can from the color they picked.

You can also use with letters - identify letter, letter sound, etc.

Thanks Jen Hollon for sharing!

3 Apps to Try

The Subitize Tree:

This game is AWESOME!  It gives your students practice at subitizing different objects and rewards them for knowing the numbers at a glance by setting little animals free! In my opinion it is definitely worth 99 cents! 

Go to this link to preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZvITXVqwts

Teacher Tipster (The Subitize Tree App)

Sight Word Ninja:

Slice your way through all sights words from preschool to grade 3.  You decide what to focus on - turn individual categories ON or OFF from the settings page. Supports 3 difficulty settings: EASY, MEDIUM, or HARD. EASY MODE:- Max 1 sight word- Sight words move very slowly- Great for introducing sight words one at a time.MEDIUM MODE:- Starts with 1 sight word- Max of 3 sight words on screen- Sight words move 30% faster.HARD MODE:- Starts with 2 sight words- Max of 5 sight words on screen- Sight words move even faster- Sight words rotate faster too.

ABC Ninja:

ABC Ninja is an exciting educational game that helps kids rapidly learn their letters by sight, sound, and touch. Slice your way through all upper and lower case letters by name or phonics sound. Supports 3 difficulty settings - Easy, Medium, or Hard.

Dollar Tree Finds: Part 1

Dollar Tree - heaven for teachers! I don't know about you but I could spend a fortune in the Dollar Tree! Every time I go I find materials that can be used for the classroom. I just LOVE it!!!

Here are some materials that can be used in your ELA centers/small groups.

1. Bingo Markers: Students can use them to trace/write letters and words, highlight letters, sounds, and sight words, etc.

2.  Flashcards: Students can use with a partner to practice sight words, letter recognition, and letter sounds.








3. Metal Cookie Sheets and Magnetic Letters: Students can make words, write spelling words, or play letter sound games.

4. Vinyl Placements: Not only do they let students know where to sit for guided reading or other small group activities, but turn them over and students can write on the back. Use as a way to respond or for word work activities.

Beginning Sounds Valentines Activity

Need a Valentines Activity for your centers. Try this beginning sounds valentines game. The kids will love it!

http://www.pre-kpages.com/printable-valentine-beginning-sounds-game/

Making Words Center

At the Making Words center, students

Taken from Hubbards Cupboard

• manipulate letters to form 3-4 letter words to match pictures (with or without dotted letters underneath)
• match small objects to word cards
• match word and picture cards

You could extend this activity by having students make sentences.

Website with Valentines Activities

Less than a month we will be celebrating Valentines Day. Whew! Time is flying. I came across this website with some wonderful Montessori inspired Valentines activities that can be adapted to all grade levels.

By posting this now, you will have some time to scour the craft stores to find the materials  needed for the activities.

Montessori Valentines Activities

Fifty Nifty Centers

I LOVE Dr. Jean! Her ideas are so practical. I ran across these center ideas from 2011. They are easy to make and fun for the kids. The activities address the following content areas - reading, math, science, and small motor.

Fifty Nifty Centers

Taken from Dr. Jean

Taken from Dr. Jean

When to Use a Capital Letter

One of the skills assessed on the MAP Test is use of a capital letter. Students have to find the word or words in a sentence that needs to be capitalized. Here is a quick and easy center activity to practice capital letters.

Write a sentence on a laminated sentence strip and leave off some capital letters (beginning of sentence, I, names, days of week, etc.) Using vis-a-vis pens, have the students re-write the sentence using capital letters in the correct places. Place an anchor chart in the center for support. 

Introduce the activity through whole group, using a pocket chart or on the easel with a chart tablet. Once students show understanding, transition the lesson to the writing center for some independent extra practice.

Taken from Tunstalls Teaching Tidbits

December Sensory Tub

Bring the holidays into the classroom with a fun sensory tub! 

Materials:

Colored rice

Small Christmas bows

Stars

Tinsel

Ornaments

Small presents 

Candy canes

Little trees

Etc.

Activities:

1. Simply explore

2. Sort items (color, type, texture, etc.)

3. Counting

4. Beginning/Ending/Medial Sounds

5. Spelling
6. Writing sentences about the objects

7. Addition/Subtraction

8. Measurement (length/weight)

The possibilities are endless. Students are learning and they LOVE it!!!!

Turkey Clothespin Activities

Okay, so I know Thanksgiving is a week away and you probably do not have time to make or think about another Thanksgiving activity, so put this easy activity in your November file for next year. This activity can be used for a math or ELA center as well as for fine motor development.  

Go to this website for the math printable. Turkey Clothespin Counting

Taken from Childcareland

I can envision an addition and subtraction activity (using dice to indicate the number of clothespins and placing the answer in the middle) or a making words activity (clothespins have individual letters and students place letters to make words - sw/ing or c/at).

Block Play (Yes even for 1st Grade)

If I had to have only a couple of centers in my classroom, blocks would definitely be one of them! I absolutely LOVE blocks and children love blocks too! Blocks are a natural element and feel good to touch and hold.

Noise and cleanup are the two biggest complaints I hear from teachers regarding block play. Well, it goes back to teaching procedures. First, blocks need to be played on a soft surface (rug, mat, or carpet). This will eliminate the noise as the blocks go crashing down. (But that's part of the fun - build it and knock it down). Second, use clean up as a learning opportunity or a game between students. It will make clean up so much more fun!!

I was perusing Dr. Jean's Blog and found this wonderful post on block play. Even first grade can implement theses activities. And if you need blocks, I am sure your kindergarten and CD friends will share with you!

Check out these ideas and bring some new life to your block center.


Dr. Jean's Block Play

Say It, Build It, Write It

I LOVE simple activities. And this one cannot get any simpler! This is a great activity to do with high frequency words, spelling words, word families, etc. (any kind of word work)

Directions:

• Create your form, laminate it, and have students use markers and wipe it off! 
• Use a cookie sheet if using magnetic letters to build words . You can get these cookie sheets at the Dollar Store.  You can also use play dough for another sensory experience.
• Students can work at their seat or at a table. 

Taken from Educator Station

Click on icon to view photos.
Directions for Students:

Draw a card. Place it in the first box and say it. Then build it. Then take a wipe-off marker and write it! Clear off the board and choose another word card.

Portable Clothesline

I had forgotten about this great make & take center activity until I ran across mine while looking for something in my school stuff. Potable Clotheslines!! They are so easy to make and can be used for multiple activities.

Directions 

• 2 Yogurt containers or empty cans (make sure there are no sharp edges)
• Dowel rods (12" - 18")
• String
• Plaster of Paris (a little goes a long way)
• Clothespins

Mix plaster as directed. Pour into containers (at least 3/4 full). Place dowel rods in plaster. Let dry. Cut string into desired length, depending on your activity. Tie the end pieces of the string to each of the rods a couple of inches from the top. Separate the containers so the string stretches across like a clothesline.

Activities

1. Names - Students spell their names (and their friends' names) by clipping letter cards to the clothesline

2. Making words - Students clip letter cards to make words. You can use this activity to practice sight words, spelling words, vocabulary words, content words, etc.

3. Alphabetical order - Students places letter cards or word cards in alphabetical order

4. Making sentences - Students clip words cards to make sentences. Make sure to add punctuation mark cards!

5. Matching Games - Students match upper and lower case letters and clip on the clothesline. You can have students match synonyms/antonyms, colors/color words, beginning sounds/pictures, rhyming words, etc.

6. Math Games - Addition/Subtraction problems, Ordinal poistions, Numerical order (1's, 2's, 5's, 10's), counting, etc.

The activities are ENDLESS!!!

Onset and Rime Activities

Similar to teaching beginning readers about rhyme, teaching children about onset and rime helps them recognize common chunks within words. This can help students decode new words when reading and spell words when writing.

The "onset" is the initial phonological unit of any word (e.g. c in cat) and the term "rime" refers to the string of letters that follow, usually a vowel and final consonants (e.g. at in cat). Not all words have onsets.

Why teach about onset and rimes?

• They help children learn about word families, which can lay the foundation for future spelling strategies
• Teaching children to attend to onset and rime will have a positive effect on their literacy skills
• Learning these components of phonological awareness is strongly predictive of reading and spelling acquisition

Examples

From the Florida Center for Reading Research, download and print these activities:

• Onset and Rime Slide
• Rime House
• Rime Closed Sort
• Speedy Rime Words

These articles offer suggestions for how to use simple onset and rime activities to help students develop phonological awareness.

• Tuning In to the Sounds of Words
• How Now Brown Cow: Phoneme Awareness Activities

Construct-a-word: "ig" in Pig. The link below outlines a strategy that can be adapted to teach different onset and rime word patterns. This activity helps teachers isolate and teach the rime "ig" using the book If you Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff. There is an instructional plan that accompanies the activity and extension ideas included to advance the learning process.
See example >

Download blank templates

There are several downloadable pages on the links below for building word families using onset and rimes.

• Word family builders
• Onset and rime tiles

Differentiated instruction for second language learners, students of varying reading skill, and for younger learners

• Have students create and write word sorts of the target word pattern
• Use pictures instead of words in activities for younger and lower level readers

Taken from Reading Rockets

Teaching Stones

Stones are a great concrete manipulative that are a must for some learners and a nice novelty for others. They are a great sensory material, as they are smooth to the touch. Stones can be purchased at the dollar store or craft store.

You can create many learning activities using stones. You can match upper and lower case letters, count, make words, etc. Today I am going to share a Spelling Activity.

Materials
stones ( dollar store or craft store)
multi-surface paint
a fine paint brush
clear sealer (optional)
basket or container for holding stones
clipboard, paper, and pencil (if recording)


Directions for Making Teaching Stones
1. Paint your stones if you wish. Let dry for at least an hour.
2. Then paint your letters, numbers, etc. on each stone. Let dry another 45 minutes - 1 hour.
3. Spray or paint with clear sealer if desired.
4. Place stones in basket.

Taken from No Time for Flashcards

Thanksgiving Spelling Stones

Lay out the stones to spell the word Thanksgiving. Explain the challenge. How many words can be made with the letters in this word. Take the stones and make a word. After making a word with the stones, write the word on the recording sheet. Put those stones back and make another word using the stones. Continue until all words have been exhausted.

Feature Friday: Word Family Activities

This week I want to feature a website with some fabulous ideas - The Differentiated Kindergarten.

I found this website as I was searching for word family activities. The author explains how she introduces word families to how students independently practice word families. Great resource so check it out.

Dollar Tree Orange Loofah Activities

Ideas taken from kathygriffinteach@blogspot.com

Orange Loofahs make perfect learning activities for students.  Keep several different colors on hand to teach letters, sounds, phonics, and math skills. You can cover the orange loop at the top with green masking tape to make it look like the stem on a pumpkin. Or you can color regular masking tape green with a marker.

PASS THE PUMPKIN - LEARNING GAMES

These games can be played whole group, small group, or individually.  If playing individually, the child can toss, catch, and say instead of passing around the circle.  If playing with your partner, the child can pass it back and forth between you.

For whole group and small group, begin with passing the pumpkin.  When they have learned this procedure, you can teach the children how to gently toss the pumpkin to the next person to help work on gross motor skills while playing the games too.  The bath loofah is easy to catch because the children can grip it more easily.

1.  Pass the Pumpkin Letter Sounds - Pass around during circle time. Children say a word that begins with the letter p.

2.  Pass the Pumpkin Rhyming - Pass around during circle time.  Say a word.  First child says a word that rhymes with it and then passes the pumpkin to the next child.  Game continues until you run out of rhymes or you can choose a new word and keep going.  Words given can be nonsense or pretend words too as long as they rhyme.

3.  Pass the Pumpkin Phonemic Awareness Segmenting - Pass around during circle time.  Say a word.  Children segment the word that was said.  For example, the teacher or adult says cat.  The child would toss and catch the sounds "c" "a" "t".

4.  Pass the Pumpkin Phonemic Awareness Segmenting - Pass around during circle time.  Say a word.  Children will segment the word using the pumpkin as a prop.  Pumpkin on head for first sound, pumpkin on shoulder for middle sound, pumpkin on knee for last sound.  For example, the teacher or adult says cat:  Child puts pumpkin on head and makes the sound of "c." Child puts pumpkin on shoulder and says "a." Child puts pumpkin on knee and says "t."  Child puts the pumpkin in both hands and says the word - cat,  then passes the pumpkin to the next child. Each child can segment the same word all around the circle (practice, practice, repeat) or you can give each child a different word.  I usually give the same word as we are learning to segment.  This helps reinforce the skill.  Children can retain the word in their head if they see the picture of the word.  Use CVC words with picture clues to help children that are struggling with this activity.  CVC words are consonant-vowel-consonant words such as hat, cat, bat, pig, dog, top, mop, etc.

First This: CVC words - cat, bat, sat, hop, top, mop, pig, wig, dig, lip, dip, bug, rug, sun

Then This:  CCVC words (working on letter blends) - stop, clap, frog, flag, crab

And Then This:  CVCC words (HARDER to hear the CVCC) - bump, jump, tent, band, hand, camp, lamp

5.  Pass the Pumpkin Vocabulary - Pass around during circle time. Children say a word that is associated with fall.

6.  Pass the Pumpkin Nonfiction Learning - Children name a fact or something they've learned about pumpkins.

7.  Toss the Pumpkin Counting - Have one pumpkin for every two players.  Have the children toss the pumpkin back and forth and count how many times they can keep it going (toss and catch).  You can set a predetermined amount of times they can start over again, give them a sand timer, or play music.

8.  Toss the Pumpkin Counting On - Students toss back and forth counting as above.  When they drop the pumpkin, they start off where they left off (counting on).  For example, they toss and catch to 9.  The next time they start with 10 and count up.

9. Toss the Pumpkin Skip Counting - Students toss back and forth counting as above except they count by 5's, 10's, or 2's.

10.  Toss the Pumpkin Greater Than, Less Than, Equal  - Students toss back and forth counting as above. Children can record each count on a piece of paper.  When the game is over, have them circle the largest number and underline the smallest number. If they write the numbers in a horizontal line, they can go back and put greater than, less than, and equal signs between the numbers.